What is the key difference between Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server and MCP Shodan?

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while MCP Shodan belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server or MCP Shodan in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server and MCP Shodan free or paid?

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). MCP Shodan operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server lists 6 tools with 2 views and 3 GitHub stars. MCP Shodan lists 22 tools with 4 views and 173 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server and MCP Shodan together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server vs MCP Shodan

In-depth architectural comparison of the Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server and MCP Shodan MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 40/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

MCP Shodan

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 67/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose MCP Shodan if your workspace requires Security integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: PTT_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: Website Scanner integration, Subdomain Finder integration, Network Scanner integration.

Explore Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server Details

Choose MCP Shodan when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: SHODAN_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server Security	MCP Shodan BurtTheCoder Security
Summary	MCP server for Pentest-Tools.com: run scans, manage findings and reports via your preffered LLM.	MCP server for querying the Shodan API and Shodan CVEDB. This server provides tools for IP lookups, device searches, DNS lookups, vulnerability queries, CPE lookups, and more.
Category & Scope	Security

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server Tools (6)

Website Scanner integration

Subdomain Finder integration

Network Scanner integration

Target, workspace, scan, and finding management

Report generation and downloads

Translated report generation

MCP Shodan Tools (22)

ip_lookup

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-server-38": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "pentesttools"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PTT_API_KEY": "YOUR_PTT_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Shodan Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "burtthecoder-mcp-shodan": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@burtthecoder/mcp-shodan"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHODAN_API_KEY": "YOUR_SHODAN_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, MCP Shodan belongs to Security using local stdio subprocess. Select Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server when you need capabilities focused on security and MCP Shodan when you require tools for security.

More alternatives to Pentest Tools.com CLI & MCP Server More alternatives to MCP Shodan Security category hub Canonical compare URL